1913. 
*4 V - 
Ruralisms 
TRAGEDIES IN GRAPE CULTURE. 
But a few months ago a really great 
man died with his work incomplete, be¬ 
cause he had not reached his ideal. As 
lie, Professor Munson, wrote me some 
years ago, and as Isidor Bush wrote in 
his unapproached “Manual of the Vine,” 
“Had we the Iona on Concord roots?” 
The ideal is never obtained, but so often 
approached—not yet have we the best 
grape on the best roots and the best vine. 
Dr. Grant thought he had it in the Iona, 
but surrendered the awarded prize when 
he found that the variety had not as 
healthy vine and roots as the Concord. 
The Rebecca was planted in the vineyard 
and being of a tender vine and root sys¬ 
tem failed. The Empire State was to be 
the reached goal, but though very nice 
falls short. Henry Ward Beecher made 
some very pleasant remarks about the 
Cornucopia, but who besides myself has 
it now? The publication of the “Bush- 
berg Manual” was deferred so as to get 
the latest report of Campbell upon his 
reached idea, Campbell’s Early, but it is 
not ideal by any means; with me decid¬ 
edly inferior. Caywood with his Walter 
and Duchess scored a touchdown surely 
(for where can we find their equal as eat¬ 
ing grapes?) but he died a disappointed 
man. The Walter needs garden care and 
only likes to root when layered, the Duch¬ 
ess grows best in a nice warm nook and 
a long season. 
Consider the names—what a superla¬ 
tive lordly number! Triumph, a large, 
fine, grand grape, but how few can ripen 
it to perfection! Matchless—the Burr- 
Stayman list of names would make one 
think that they had a walk-over in the 
“best” varieties list. Eclipse—what a 
great name! Surely a good grape, but 
there are others not eclipsed by it; in¬ 
deed it has the same fault as Moore’s 
Diamond—too much taste of the seeds. 
Jacob Moore was a disappointed man, 
for he couldn’t “patent” his varieties, 
and trade-marking the names had not 
become usual in his day. His Brighton 
is certainly an approach to ideal, but is 
self-sterile and loses quality after ripen¬ 
ing. He left many undisseminated va¬ 
rieties, a description of which was pub¬ 
lished in “The Country Gentleman” about 
15 years ago. Surely when Ricketts was 
ascendant we thought the ne plus ultra 
variety had been found, but if it had this 
or that or the other quality it would be 
ideal. With Ricketts as with so many 
it was a tragedy, for he was impover¬ 
ished by hunting after the idea. At over 
•SO years he still lives and hopes still, so 
I am told by a vine lover. N. B. White 
has the wonderful Amber Queen and 
King Philip to his credit. He, too. 
would like an ideal variety; he is still 
working though approaching 90. When 
we really think of the great Ricketts’ Jef- 
ferson, we should think that we have 
what is good enough to let good enough 
alone; but still our feeling of satisfaction 
is interrupted and we are dissatisfied 
again, and go wandering on. It does 
seem strange that some of the earliest 
varieties are still among the best; Ca¬ 
tawba, Delaware and Diana, for instance, 
have not been equaled in general- favor, 
nor has the Iona been excelled except in 
vine hardihood. I do not know whether 
the Concord should be considered, for it 
is so low in scale of excellence, as are 
nearly all its progeny. 
Is it really worth while when we are 
so bountifully provided with “best” va¬ 
rieties to continue hybridizing and grow¬ 
ing seedlings? Professor Munson has 
had at one time 45,000 seedling vines of 
known parentage to test, and yet he died 
not quite satisfied. I visited Copley a 
yar before his death; he it was who ex- 
<'ited the wonder of grape lovers, by ex¬ 
hibiting at fairs bunches of enormous 
• s * ze an d beauty. He, like Jacob Moore, 
was grieved that he could not patent his 
'niit, and told me it was his intention 
that his great work in grape origination 
should die with him; happily after a long 
talk I changed his mind. He would not 
let even a bud be sent with the bunches 
he exhibited, and kept a dog at the locked 
!-uto of his vineyard. It does indeed seem 
•oo bad that nearly every grape origina- 
'oi has had bitterness as well as disap¬ 
pointment come to him; I suppose that 
.'•■ars of working for the unattainable 
khttl. and the lack of appreciation bv 
T ke public, and the 
THE RURATi NEW-YORKER 
appreciation 
readiness of people 
to take advantage causes this. Note the 
Winchell-Green Mountain and the Prcn- 
tiss-IIudson uncertainty. Perhaps the 
culture of the vine is enjoyed by men of 
retiring and of sensitive dispositions, and 
so they feel more deeply the outrageous 
fortune that seems to come to them. The 
grape men I have met have all been very 
gentle men. It is singular, too, that the 
ideal striven for is so different. I had a 
row of white grapes and each one was 
the best according to some one. Andrew 
8. Fuller sent me Miner’s Augusta, as 
“the best white grape;” Caywood cer¬ 
tainly considered his Duchess the best, 
and Underhill his Croton. Campbell 
wrote me that his Peerless (note the ex¬ 
travagant name) “is better than the 
Duchess.” The Eclipse (Bowe’s) an¬ 
other “best.” These with Rickett’s Gol¬ 
den Gem made my “best” row. I believe 
that it is variety we want, no one best. 
It is more satisfying to have several 
dozen varieties all good, among the best. 
A Catawba, just chilled by frost, picked 
for breakfast, is not to be excelled, and 
so we might list many excellent for their 
season; some even like to keep grapes 
months, almost until they come again, but 
they do not satisfy my taste; I want 
them fresh. Munson has done well by 
extending the ripening season a good 
month. Munson has done well by giving 
us fine varieties that will grow under the 
most adverse conditions. Every one can 
have a vine who owns or rents even a 
few feet of ground, and every one can 
buy a basket of Delaware and Catawba 
and plant seeds and join the army of 
originators and perhaps reach the ideal. 
I have visited many nurserymen and 
every one has a few seedling grapevines 
of his own and has hopes. I have a seed 
bed, too, and am nursing seedlings of 
< Toton, Golden Gem, Naomi and Walter 
—perhaps to me will come out of these 
the royal flush. elbf.rt WAKEMAN. 
Maryland. 
777 
“"W here are you going. Senator? You 
seem busy.” “I am busy. Got to take 
this package of soil over to the agricul¬ 
tural department to be assayed, then I 
must send some seeds to one of my con¬ 
stituents, and find some Summer board¬ 
ers for a man who says he voted for me 
last Fall.”—Louisville Courier-Journal. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page 
Please the 
Home Folks 
By serving 
Post 
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Toasties are sold by 
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